Week One - Week Five

Children’s Theatre and the Pie-Rats of Rottenest

Wednesday, 23 February 2005

I didn’t realise how involved this subject was until today.  Quite apart from the large team of ancillary workers – Brien, of course, Cheryl (my lifesaver on many occasions),  Darren,  our tutor, who is wonderful, Jenny who is the costume mentor, the Masters student (Nick) who is actually going to write the music, Salmia, teaching dance, we have perhaps sixty students, and there’s a job for everyone.  Including, unfortunately, me.  Stage Manager.  What does it mean?  What do I do?  The responsibilities appear to be huge.  Instead of happily sewing away at costumes and just helping out where required, I’m going to have to be there all the time, for everyone and everything.  It’s a daunting task.  I don’t want to let anyone down – Jenny, the crew, the students and particularly the audience.  I can see some sleepless nights out there.  But I will try to avoid phoning Brien at 2 am!

We started on the dot of 12.30 (most of us had arrived earlier than that anyway).  Jenny introduced everyone, and then she and Brien commenced to tell us, in terrifying detail, what was involved in this unit.  It sounds like fun, certainly, but as Brien, Darren and Jenny all pointed out, requires a huge commitment from every student.  I can’t imagine doing this subject if I were a full time student.  As it is, doing Acting, rather than a history unit with long assignments and exams, means that I will have the requisite time free at the end of the semester.

Once the frighteners had been put on us, Darren led us in a little light relief.  Body warm ups, vocal warm ups, and an amazing impromptu (well, it was for us – obviously Darren has done it many times before) singing exercise.  I always tell people I can’t carry a tune in a bucket, but there I was, part singing with everyone else.  We also did all those other frightening things, like introducing ourselves, thinking ourselves into the body of another character, and then an animal.  Large number of cats and dogs, a cobra, a very convincing seagull, and quite a few primates.  No giraffes or rhinoceroses (rhinoceri?), no mice or rabbits.  Several students have abundant confidence (and talent).  Some are shy, even in the small group situations we finished in.

On the way home I worried, like a dog with a bone, at the prospect of being stage manager, even if sharing the role with another student.  Being me, I’m not too sure about the sharing part.  Control freak that I am, I never really trust anyone else.  Please, prove me wrong.

What did we do before we had the internet?  I now know the Ethics of the Theatre, the duties of a Stage Manager according to Actors Equity (I was able to cross off the

sections relating to paying people, at least) and some idea of what is involved in a prompt book.  I even found a website devoted to producing Christian plays for children, who freely sent me the layout that they use for their own prompt books.  It gives me a feel for what is needed, but I think I’ll need to see what has usually been used in Jenny’s productions before.  I don’t doubt there is room for change and innovation, but also “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is a sensible philosophy.

Friday, 25 February 2005

Diana and I watched Jenny’s video of Shakespeare at Sea yesterday.  Rhys (aged almost four) watched it with us, and it held his attention even though Nick Jnr was on the other television.  It was great to see what is going to be involved in this unit, and how much fun everyone seemed to have.  Dance, circus arts, singing – so many people have talents they are unaware of!  I do think perhaps I should buy my own juggling balls and get an early start though.  Diana offered a couple of tips – stand in front of the bed so you aren’t tempted to continue to move forward to catch the balls, and it’s not so far to reach down to pick them up again.

Wednesday, 2 March 2005

Well, another full three hours.  We watched some video of previous CT shows, so that we had some idea of what we have to live up to.  We stuffed envelopes to be sent to schools.  We broke up into groups of actors and others, and I went off with the others to discuss costume, props, set design and makeup.  Lindsay and Jenny facilitated, and Brien came in to talk us through the idea of reading through the script to get a feel for the emotions aroused, and the actual practicalities of the performance.  Oh, and the title has changed – to Captain Quokka’s Adventures on the High Seas.

Brien showed me some useful websites on stage management, and this afternoon George and Terry Hackett, stalwarts of KADS, are going to give me some hints and tips.  Brien has also promised to send me a copy of a former student’s journal on stage management.  That will be very useful.  I hope some day, this journal might be useful to another terrified stage manager.

At least at the moment my jobs are basic organisational ones.  To put everyone’s names into a schedule so that I have all their contact details, and to make a sign in sheet so that we can keep track of people.  It’s been heavily stressed that punctuality is vitally important, and reliability.  Turning up when one is supposed to (and not skiving off because one can).

I am also to provide Lindsay with a list of all the painting/props/production people and provide the same list to all of the people who are on the list so that they all have each other’s contact details.  This is just secretarial business.  It’s essential to the overall success of the performance, but not demanding expertise-wise.  Just time consuming – and needs to be done as quickly as possible so that time is available later for more involved work.

Later

George has lent me two very old books:  A Handbook for the Amateur Theatre by Peter Cotes and On Stage – A practical guide to the actor’s craft by Muriel Steinbeck.  And he’s lent me one of his own prompt books, from a production called A Tomb with a View, which KADS performed in 1989.  And he showed me how his sound effects program works.  I’d really like to do that, so perhaps next year….

In the meantime, I’d better go and do that list of names and telephone numbers for Jenny, Jenny and Lindsay. (Jenny 1, our esteemed director,  Jenny 2 (costume mentor) and Lindsay Lloyd, our designer.  What a talented group of people – and so full of enthusiasm and energy.  As are Brien and Darren of course.  I’ve never done a unit with such a team.

Wednesday, 9 March 2005

Circus Skills

What an inspiration Reg is!  And who would have thought

so many of us had such hidden talents!

Reg didn’t tell us much about his history, except, of course

that without telling us his age, from the amount of work

he’s packed into his life, (and his doctorate) we know he’s

been doing this for a long time.  But his enthusiasm is so infectious, his ability so amazing, that even those of us not so young, nor so limber, were encouraged to push the envelope – and found that perhaps we were only hampered by our own lack of belief, not our actual abilities.

Belief.  Now there’s a word to conjure with.  It’s a word that means so much in the context of Children’s Theatre that mere definition doesn’t do it justice.  So much of what we do depends on belief.  The children’s in what they are seeing and hearing.  Ours, in each other and ourselves.  And in the greater context, that spell binding moment in every theatre’s audience where belief is suspended and one is held in thrall by the performance.

Andrew has created an exciting concept by putting his journal onto a web page.  It would probably be an excellent way to provide a stage management handbook, akin to the one Brien sent me that Rhiannon wrote.  But although I really enjoyed Hypertext, using HTML is so time consuming it would leave me no time for the practical applications of the job.

Punch and Judy.

Looked up all sorts of web sites after Reg jogged my memory about Punch and Judy shows on the sands of Blackpool.  There’s actually a PunchandJudy.com website, with old scripts from the 19^th century – and one new one written by an eleven year old boy that isn’t half bad!  There are lots of variations, and Kevin reminded me that “that’s the way to do it” in a squeaky voice comes from Punch and Judy, as well.  And there are lots of pantomime elements in it, too, which of course children love.  We went to see Sinbad at Curtin uni before Christmas and the children were entranced.  Especially Callum, because he sat next to me in the aisle seat and was kissed by a fairy!  Not, perhaps, something he’ll want to be reminded of at his twenty first birthday party!  I remember my first panto.  Babes in the Wood, at Liverpool.  We were in the first row of the dress circle but I wished we’d been in the stalls.  We were fortunate children.  We took a friend and her daughter to a pantomime on the Gold Coast when Michael was about eight.  It was the first time Colleen (then aged about 40) had been to a live theatre performance.  Panto works everywhere.  In Nauru we put on Aladdin for the Chinese children in the Location Chinese Theatre.  They may have been slightly bemused to begin with, but they absolutely loved it.  There were photos on the walls in the dressing room of young Chinese women made up for traditional Chinese theatre, and we all tried to make ourselves look the same.  It doesn’t look as good on western faces (though Shirley MacLaine made quite an acceptable Cho Cho San in My Geisha).

Wednesday, 16 March 2005

A full on day to day.  Our first look at the script, followed by acting auditions and then singing auditions.  Some people really want to act.  Some people really can act.  And some have both qualities.  It must be difficult to decide whom to cast in what role, and while it afforded me a chance to learn some more names, I find I do not really have the skills necessary to judge the suitability of people for roles.  Auditioning is a frightening experience, and if I was impressed with the bravery of the actors, the singers impressed me even more.  To expose one’s singing talents to even the small group of us who sat at the table would be very daunting.  Nick and Darren are amazingly supportive and kind (far kinder than me, and I can’t sing a note).  Nick is tasked with writing songs for the play, and has to bear in mind people’s assets while doing this.  I feel surrounded by talent, which humbles me and makes me want to do my very best, but perhaps it won’t be enough.

Practical details occupy me at the moment.  Sending emails, writing notes on the calendar to buy milk, to turn up at 8.30 next Wednesday, to see Brien on Friday.  In particular, now, the prompt book.  Aaron has already worked out sound effects for as much of the script as we have at the moment, but I will have to have each page of the script on a separate page, not printed on both sides, so that I can put the prompts opposite the lines.  Columns for calls, sound effects, lighting.  Do I need little stage plans for blocking?  I will have something roughed out for next week, and refine later.  I think I should also have a sheet where I can detail what is happening with wardrobe, props, etc as people report to me.  Must re-read Rhiannon’s masterpiece.

Thursday, 17 March 2005

St Patrick’s Day.  Guinness and green beer.  Fenian songs and leprechauns.  Why is it only St Patrick’s Day we celebrate here – no mention of St George, St Andrew or even St David.  Inconsequential, however, in this journal.

I have been trying to write my essay.  I chose Ethics in Children’s Theatre, but can find very little on the subject.  What I do find is either from right wing moral crusaders or left wing trendy allow all crusaders.  Where do I fall?  Somewhere in the middle, I suppose.  I don’t think children should be subjected to theatre which embarrasses them, makes them feel uncomfortable, or conflicts with their own family values or religion (unless, of course, their family values are those of the Addams family).  But is it wrong to have a message in the play that not everyone would agree with?  It happens in movies all the time.  I will always remember watching Free Willy 2, which paints oil companies and their ships as bad, when at the time (and now) our family was being supported by a husband working in that industry.  We can’t all have jobs planting trees or working with wind and solar power generators.  Some of us will always have the sorts of jobs that, while essential, are seen as politically incorrect.  It doesn’t matter what context.  In Japan, grave diggers and nightsoil carters belong to a caste so low that other people won’t talk to them.  The Burakumin.  But I digress.  What about other plays for children?  Peter Pan – what is the message in that?  It’s a long time since I’ve read it, but I always thought Peter was a fairly unpleasant person.  Did Barrie intend that children should realise that eventually everyone must grow up and take responsibility for their actions.  And what about Alice in Wonderland, what is the message there?  I must ponder that.  The other thing is, of course, that when books are made into movies, or plays, the message may be changed by the film studio or the writer.

Monday, 28 March 2005

Oh, I haven’t written anything for ages.  I have sent out some emails and organised rosters for cleaning up but Easter seems to have been an excuse to watch television, garden and generally veg out.

  Last Wednesday was the first blocking of the first act.  I sat hastily scribbling notes of movements, special effects and props.  I will be more organised next week, as have made sure I have enough sheets already made up for Act 2.  I don’t know how Jenny produces these scripts year after year.  Look how long it took me just to write the first draft for Typhoid Mary!  We also had our first production meeting, which went well I think.  I now know who is specialising in what area of production, and am learning to put names to faces.  I can also now picture a face for each actor, so although I might not know their real names, at least I know their roles.

  Now and then, particularly when I hear Darren getting the cast to sing, I itch to demonstrate how I would interpret a part, I wish I had decided on acting instead of stage management.  I’ve always wanted to be able to sing.  If I’d been a singing mouse, I would never have given up my voice to have the leathery wings of a bat.

  I’ve decided to change my essay subject, to that of what I have learnt about being a stage manager.  It won’t be a complete answer to that question, as I expect to keep learning until the day we finish up, but it will address some of the issues that have occupied me so far.

View other Your Work entries...

Val's Journal...     Week One - Week Six     Week Seven - Week Eleven     Week Twelve - Week Fourteen

    Jodie's Journal...      Part One     Part Two     Character Development

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